The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

A depiction of the love/hate relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Norman Reilly Raine (screen play), Æneas MacKenzie (screen play) (as Aeneas MacKenzie)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland

Nominated for 5 Oscars.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bette Davis	...	Queen Elizabeth
Errol Flynn	...	Earl of Essex
Olivia de Havilland	...	Lady Penelope Gray
Donald Crisp	...	Francis Bacon
Alan Hale	...	Earl of Tyrone
Vincent Price	...	Sir Walter Raleigh
Henry Stephenson	...	Lord Burghley
Henry Daniell	...	Sir Robert Cecil
James Stephenson	...	Sir Thomas Egerton
Nanette Fabray	...	Mistress Margaret Radcliffe (as Nanette Fabares)
Ralph Forbes	...	Lord Knollys
Robert Warwick	...	Lord Mountjoy
Leo G. Carroll	...	Sir Edward Coke

Storyline

This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Ever the victor on the battlefield, Devereux returns to London after defeating Spanish forces at Cadiz. Middle-aged Elizabeth, so attracted to the younger Devereux but fearful of his influence and popularity, sends him on a new mission: a doomed campaign to Ireland. When he and his troops return in defeat, Devereux demands to share the throne with the heir-less queen, and Elizabeth, at first, intends to marry. Ultimately sensing the marriage would prove disastrous for England, Elizabeth sets in motion a merciless plan to protect her people and preserve her throne.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to shakespeare's richard ii | queen | throne | earl | ireland | 

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Taglines:

Elizabeth I's love for the Earl of Essex threatens to destroy her kingdom.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elizabeth and Essex

Filming Locations:

Stage 14, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,075,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bette Davis was widely felt to be too young to play Queen Elizabeth I of England.

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Goofs

When the horseman rides up to the "Red Lion" inn, a gorgeous sunset is behind him; the shadow he casts is inconsistent with the placement of the sun, revealing this sunset to not have been in the original shot.

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Quotes

Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex: [after being slapped hard by Queen Elizabeth I] I would not have taken that from your father the King; much less will I take it from a king in petticoats!

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Connections

Featured in Stars of the Silver Screen: Bette Davis (2011)

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Soundtracks

Love's Answer
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Walter Raleigh
Sung by Olivia de Havilland (dubbed by Faith Kruger)
Lute playing dubbed by an anonymous lutist

User Reviews

The Elizabeth of legend

This picture, based on Maxwell Anderson's play (written entirely in blank verse!) portrays the Elizabeth of legend, not the historical Elizabeth, in this case based on Lytton Strachey's book, "Elizabeth and Essex". In other words, this is more a theatrical than a strictly accurate presentation of the great queen and her times.

And what a presentation! Lynn Fontanne portrayed Elizabeth in the play's original Broadway run; Judith Anderson played her in the 1968 television presentation (opposite Charlton Heston!). Davis takes the part (re-written for the picture, discarding the blank verse) over the top. Her overactive, explosive performance might seem too much to some, but it definitely matches the style of the play itself, the sumptuous settings, gorgeously photographed, the historically accurate costuming, and Korngold's splashy, brilliant score, one of his best creations.

The supporting cast matches her at every turn. Even Flynn's performance, dismissed at the time as being lightweight, comes across as the ideal foil to the tempestuous, aging queen he's playing against.

Quite a treat, even after almost seventy years. Definitely of its time, but, understanding this, it can be thoroughly enjoyed.